This just in at Titan Casino: A Roman Catholic priest in Las Vegas was sentenced to three years in jail for embezzling money to finance his gambling addiction related to casinos and video poker. The court ordered him to pay back a whopping $650,000!

The priest, who is 59 years old, was stealing from his northwest Las Vegas parish Votive Candle prayer and gift shop funds for a total of eight years. The judge explained that people depend on him and that he abused a position of trust.

A psychiatry professor that was brought in explained his addiction was a form of “self medication” and was a mask for his depression, sadness, and social anxiety.

While we don’t condone embezzling and especially not gambling as a form of addiction, we should understand that cases like this do happen and one should seek help before the situation spirals out of control. This specific case of the priest is, without a doubt, a lesson in itself.

We need to remember that gambling is supposed to be fun and that a having a sense of control is important when dealing with large sums of money while playing casino games. Knowing the maximum of how much you are willing to spend and how much time to spend at the tables is certainly important. Gambling responsibly is unquestionably the name of the game here.

If you or someone you know if suffering from a gambling addiction, do not hesitate to contact any of the gambling awareness groups for more information.